Johan van Zyl, Gordon’s Bay
To Murray Williams:
Having first noticed your column Ride of Our Lives in Bolander some time ago, I did not do much more than give it a fleeting glance.
Some days one gets that feeling of being overwhelmed by information, with the result that one goes into flying mode and one misses many weird and wonderful snippets along the way.
So the months went by, and I got used to the idea of being a retired pensioner with grandchildren.
Perhaps it was Boo’s picture in one of the columns that alerted me to the possibility of yet another father figure showing off the ropes of child minding.
I started to look deeper than merely at the column banner and photo. At first I could not appreciate your writing style.
You use frequent, very short sentences, and let your thoughts flow rapid-fire from paragraph to paragraph.
It is so different from my own style. I am more the academic type, with longer, heavily structured descriptive sentences.
But being an occasional writer myself, I could come to understand with what enthusiasm you describe your outings with Landrover and bicycle.
I started reading your column with greater regularity and attention, and I now look forward to the magic in each and every one.
Please carry on the good work. Perhaps I could even learn from your style and strive to put more heart into my sentences, as you have shown.
Also in dealings with my granddaughter especially, I totally agree with your way of accompanying your child on life’s journey.
You are the opposite of the “absent father” and I believe you are going about life the right way. Your child can only benefit greatly from that.
I wish I could meet with you and shake your hand.